Calling the Clock: US Poker ménage à trois; WPT Japan focus; Sethi Prez nod

Another weekly news round-up of all things poker including a proposed ménage à trois in the US, a renewed focus in Japan and South America for the World Poker Tour, and the President of India to honour one of our own. 

Let’s begin our round-up this week with the slow reptile like movements of the state-by-state online poker regulation in the US. In midweek, online poker operators in Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware snorted a speedball after New Jersey Guv Chris Christie announced plans for the three states to share liquidity.

In the immediate future, only the World Series of Poker (WSOP) brand looks likely to benefit. New Jersey market leader, PokerStars is banned from Nevada for being a naughty boy. Longer term, should more states eventually decide a few million quid is budget-worthy, and regulate online poker, a patchwork quilt will form much easier.

That particular ménage à trois wasn’t the only piece of poker news to come out of the States this week. The World Poker Tour’s (WPT) owners, OurGame International announced a subscription share scheme to raise HK$416m ($53m), part of which will help grow the televised WPT brand and PlayWPT in both Japan and South America. They will spend the rest on the growth of Allied Esports (AES), and local games in China.